The Price of Dreams
by LP4LIFE
Summary: Lucas and Peyton share the dream of being together, but will they have to give that up to fulfill their other dreams?
1. What Have I Done?

The end of the summer…

Lucas POV

_What have I done? Am I insane? All I had to do was tell her to stay with me and she would have stayed. She wanted me to tell her to stay, and stupidly I didn't. Did she really want to stay? This is her dream, and she has to want it, but maybe not more than she wants to be with me. All I want is for her to be happy, and for that to happen, she has to pursue her dreams. I could have gone with her, but I have my own dreams to pursue. Unfortunately, my dream of her being at my side the whole time cannot be fulfilled. I need her more than she knows. I miss her already and it has only been 5 minutes since she left. Am I pathetic to want her this much? In my mind I'm not, but then why didn't I stop her? I guess I will keep asking myself these questions for the next 4 years now. I may never have an answer to them, but maybe I don't need an answer. Maybe I did do the right thing. I guess only time will tell._


	2. Happiness is What Matters

Flashback

The week prior to graduation…

Lucas and Peyton were both happier than they had ever been. They had been together a few months now, and neither could stop smiling. They both knew that their relationship was real, and nothing could come between them. Or could it? They may be meant to be, but they would soon find out that they were going to have to overcome obstacles to end up together.

Lucas and Peyton are together in Peyton's room a few hours after school. They are just sitting around and listening to music.

"Luke, I have been thinking," Peyton had just come to a realization.

"What have you been thinking about? Perhaps your incredibly handsome boyfriend?" Lucas stood up, walked over to Peyton, and gave her a kiss.

"Well, of course Luke, but this is something serious."

"And what is that?" Lucas was becoming confused.

"What are we going to do next year?" Peyton needed to know what their future held.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, high school is over Luke. It is time for us to move on with our lives. I mean college, or whatever other dreams we may have."

"You know Peyt, I really haven't thought about that. I guess the only thing on my mind is you." Lucas smiled and went to kiss Peyton again, but she stopped him.

"Luke, this is a serious situation. What if we have different dreams, and want to do different things. We really need to talk about this."

"O.k. Peyt, if you wanna talk about this, then we will talk about it." They both sat down on Peyton's bed.

"O.k. well, I guess I will start this out. Luke, you know how much I love drawing. It is my dream to become an artist, and in order to do that I plan on going to the Savannah College of Art and Design. It is one of the best art schools in the country, and I got accepted there."

"Wow Peyt, that is incredible. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to get mad at me. I figured that you would think that I wanted to go there for Jake, but I love you Luke, I hope you know that. You are my one and only." Peyton walks over and gives Lucas a kiss. "The only reason I applied there is because it is the best school for me. I haven't even talked to Jake in a long time, and I don't plan to."

"Peyton, you don't have to worry. I love you too, and I trust you. I really don't mind if you want to talk to Jake. He is my friend, and he used to be your good friend too." Peyton gave Lucas a smile.

"So what are your plans?" Peyton awaited an answer, but really didn't want to hear it, because she knew that his plans would involve them being apart.

"Well, you know that it is my dream to go to UNC and study literature. I still want to do that Peyton, but I want to be with you more. I just don't know how to do that."

"Luke, I want to be with you too, but what are we going to do. In order to do that, one of us will have to give up our dream." Peyton was starting to cry a little at the thought of being apart from Lucas for the next 4 years.

"Peyt, please don't cry. We will figure this out together. I truly believe that if we love each other, and we are meant to be together, then we will be able to get through anything." Lucas then pulled Peyton in for a hug.

"Luke, I'm scared. I don't know what I would do without you." Peyton was now crying in Lucas's arms.

"Peyt, there is nothing to be scared about. You are a strong person, and you won't be without me, I promise you that. Even if we apart from each other I will always be there for you. We will only be a plane ride away from each other if that is what it comes to."

"Luke, I don't know if I can handle that. What if I really need you? You would have to jump on a plane to be with me."

"Well, if that is what it takes for me to be there for you, I will do it Peyton. I love you more than anything in this world. You are the best thing I have in my life, and I would do anything for you."

"So, you would let me go to Savannah?" Peyton was a little surprised by this.

"Well Peyt, if that is what you really want, I think I have to let you go. I love you too much to keep you from your dreams."

"And I love you too much to keep you from yours." Peyton gave Lucas a kiss.

"Peyt, how about we just forget about all of this for awhile. We need to just be together, and be happy right now. If we are going to be apart for the majority of the next 4 years, we need to cherish every moment we have together." Lucas kissed Peyton again.

"You're right Luke. Let's just be together, and be happy." A smile was finally coming to Peyton's face, while Lucas was immediately regretting what he had just done.


	3. Full of Surprises

In the middle of the summer…

Lucas and Peyton were having a great summer together. They were inseparable. They literally never left each other's sides. While they both were thinking about what the next year would bring, they hadn't talked about it since that day a few months before. Lucas had been surprising Peyton the entire summer with many romantic things. This time around, he was planning to take her to New York City. He knew how much she wanted to go there. So, one day he just out of the blue decided to take her there.

"Pack your bags babe." Lucas saw the confusion on Peyton's face, but he couldn't wait until she found out where they were going.

"Luke, what are you talking about?"

"What I am talking about is taking my girlfriend to New York City." Lucas could immediately see a smile form on Peyton's face.

"Are you serious?" Peyton couldn't believe how sweet he had been the whole summer, and now he was doing this.

"Peyt, you know I wouldn't lie to you. I know how much you have always wanted to go there, so I am taking you there." Peyton jumped up and into Lucas's arms before kissing him passionately.

"Luke, I love you so much, thank you!" Peyton kissed Lucas again before running off to pack for their trip.

The next day they left for New York City. Lucas had a lot planned for the week they were going to spend there. The most important thing he had planned would have to wait until their last night in the city.


	4. The Last Night

Lucas and Peyton had the best week of both of their lives. They did everything there was to do in New York City, and they did it all together. They were falling in love more and more as each day passed. This was going to make the end of the summer even harder for both of them to handle. However, that didn't matter to them. All that mattered was being together, happy, and having fun. It was their last night in the city, so Lucas was ready for his final surprise.

It was early in the morning, and Lucas and Peyton woke up in each other's arms.

"Good morning beautiful." Lucas was smiling from ear to ear.

"Good morning handsome." Peyton smiled, and gave Lucas a kiss.

"I've got a big last day planned for us babe."

"Luke, this week has been amazing. Thank you so much for this." She kissed him passionately. "I love you."

"I love you too, and that is why I want this last day to be perfect."

"Okay, so what did you have in mind?"

"Well, I figured we could start off by showering." Lucas then got up and heading for the shower.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" Peyton was a little confused.

"Oh, well you my dear, are coming in with me." Lucas walked over and took Peyton's hand. They then ran off to the bathroom as Peyton giggled.

They had a nice, fun day together. It was then time for the romantic dinner Lucas had planned.

"Peyt, it's time for you to get sexy."

"Oh, and why is that?" Lucas walked up, took Peyton in his arms, and kissed her.

"Because, I have a special night planned for the two of us."

"Well, in that case, I will get sexy." Peyton kissed Lucas again, before going to get dressed for their special night.


	5. Forever and Ever

The night went perfectly. They went out to a very romantic candlelit dinner, and then took a carriage ride into Central Park. Once in the center of the park, Lucas told the driver to stop and let them out. Peyton was a little surprised by this, but she followed Lucas out of the carriage.

"Luke, what are we doing?" Just as those words left Peyton's mouth, Lucas got down on one knee, and took Peyton's hand.

"Peyton, I love you more than anything in this world. You are the most important thing in my life. These past few months that we have spent together have been the best months of my life, and that is because I can't be happier than I am when I am with you. You bring out the best in me Peyton, we are meant to be, and that is why I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Peyton was now started to cry, because she Lucas was being so sweet. She knew what he was about to do.

"Luke, I feel the same way. You are my one an only, and the only person on this planet who can make me happy. I want everything with you. I love you." Lucas then pulled out the engagement ring, and Peyton started to cry even more.

"Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer, will you make me the happiest, and luckiest man on earth and marry me?" Peyton pulled Lucas into her arms, and kissed him passionately.

"Of course I will marry you Luke." Lucas then slipped the ring onto her finger, picked her up, and spun her around. They then shared another passionate kiss, before walking off hand in hand.


	6. Not Alone

Lucas and Peyton returned to Tree Hill, and then spent the last few weeks of their summer together as a happily engaged couple. Neither of them wanted to face what would come in the next week. They would be spending the next 4 years of their lives apart in order to pursue their dreams. They both wanted to be together, but neither wanted the other to give up their dream. They loved each other too much to do that. They had avoided the issue the entire summer, but now it was time to face it head on.

Lucas was helping Peyton pack up her stuff for her move to Savannah. It was hard for him. He was helping his fiancé get ready to walk out of his life. However, he felt that he needed to do this for her. In fact, he had gone one step further.

"Hey Peyt, I need to talk to you about something." Lucas had been waiting to tell Peyton what he had done.

"O.k., what is it?"

"You're not going to be living alone in Savannah." Peyton was now very confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I made a phone call yesterday, and I found a better place for you to live."

"Luke, why would you do that? Who did you call?" Peyton was now a little upset.

"Peyt, I love you more than anything in this world, and I hated the thought of you being all alone in Savannah. So, I gave Jake a call, and he said that you can live with him and Jenny."

"Luke, why would you want me to live with another guy, much less a guy I have a history with?" Peyton was really confused by Luke's intentions.

"Peyt, you will be a lot happier there if you live with him, and I think you know that. I trust you Peyton. I don't care about your past with Jake. All I care about is your future with me."

"Luke, that is really sweet, but I don't know if I can do it. I think it would just be too weird. I might be able to talk to him, or even visit him, but I can't live with him." Luke pulled Peyton into his arms and gave her a kiss.

"I just want you to be happy. I understand if you don't want to live with him though. I just think it would be good for you to have a friend there." Peyton smiled at Lucas and kissed him.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."


	7. Cold Feet

In the next week, Lucas and Peyton had all of their things packed up, and they were both ready to go their separate ways to follow their dreams. The next day they would both leave for school, which would be the hardest day of both of their lives. They had decided to spend the entire day before they left together.

"Luke, I'm scared." Lucas and Peyton were at the Rivercourt talking.

"Peyt, there is nothing to be scared about, trust me. You are following your dream, and that is not something to be afraid of." Lucas pulled Peyton in his arms, and gave her a long, passionate kiss.

"Luke, you always make me feel better. I just feel so safe when I am in your arms like this. I am not scared of going to Savannah, I am scared of not having you there with me. What will happen when I need you like this? When I need you to just hold me, and tell me that everything is going to be o.k., what will I do? I need you Luke. I love you so much." Peyton was now starting to cry in Lucas's arms.

"I love you too Peyt. If you ever need me, I am just a phone call away, and I promise you that if you want me to come be with you, I will be on the next flight out to Savannah, or I will drive there if I have to."

"Luke, you can't just drop everything and come to Savannah every time I need you, or want to be with you." Lucas cupped Peyton's face with both of his hands, and tilted her head so she was looking into his eyes.

"Peyt, I would do anything for you. I know that it is going to be practically impossible for us to be apart like this, but we both need to follow our dreams. It will be different not being a few minutes away from each other, but I am just a phone call away. I meant it when I told you that if you need me, I will be there as soon as possible."

"Luke, you are perfect, you know that?" Lucas and Peyton smiled at each other, and then shared another passionate kiss.

"Not as perfect as you are."

They only had a few hours left together, so they headed back to Peyton's house. Once there, they shared the most passionate few hours of either of their lives. Afterall, those hours would have to last them awhile.


	8. The Day Has Come

The dreaded day had come. It was time for Lucas and Peyton to go their separate ways. Lucas had driven Peyton to the airport, so he could say goodbye to her before driving to Chapel Hill. Peyton's flight had just been called to board.

"Well, I guess it's time." Peyton was starting to cry. Lucas took her in his arms, and kissed her passionately.

"Peyt, you are going to do great in Savannah. You have nothing to worry about. I love you, and I will still be here for you."

"I love you too Luke. Thank you for being so supportive. I'm sure you will do great at UNC too. In fact, I know you will." They were both crying now. This was the hardest thing either of them had ever done.

"Well, you better get going, you can't miss your plane." Lucas gave Peyton one last kiss before letting her go.

"Luke, I just need you to know that you are my hero. I know how much courage it takes for you to let me do this. I love you. I will call you when he plane lands." Lucas could barely choke out the four words he was about to say.

"I love you too." With that, Peyton walked away from Lucas, and boarded her flight to Savannah.

Lucas was left in the airport, still standing in the same spot. It had only been five minutes since she left, but he already couldn't stand being without her. Now, he had to go to UNC, and follow his own dreams.


	9. What Have I Done? 2

Lucas POV

_What have I done? Am I insane? All I had to do was tell her to stay with me and she would have stayed. She wanted me to tell her to stay, and stupidly I didn't. Did she really want to stay? This is her dream, and she has to want it, but maybe not more than she wants to be with me. All I want is for her to be happy, and for that to happen, she has to pursue her dreams. I could have gone with her, but I have my own dreams to pursue. Unfortunately, my dream of her being at my side the whole time cannot be fulfilled. I need her more than she knows. I miss her already and it has only been 5 minutes since she left. Am I pathetic to want her this much? In my mind I'm not, but then why didn't I stop her? I guess I will keep asking myself these questions for the next 4 years now. I may never have an answer to them, but maybe I don't need an answer. Maybe I did do the right thing. I guess only time will tell._

Peyton was now on her plane to Savannah, and she couldn't help but think about Lucas. She missed him already, and she hadn't even landed. She couldn't wait to call him when she landed.

Peyton POV

_Why did I get on this plane? I just left the man I love, the man I am engaged to be married to. How will I stand being away from him like this for the majority of the next 4 years. All I had to do was ask him to come with me and he would have. This is my dream, but I think I want to be with Luke more. I want him to be here with me, or it won't be the same. Why didn't I just tell him how I felt about this? He has his own dreams to pursue though, and I can't take that away from him. I need him more than anything in this world, and I think he needs me too. How will we deal with this? I guess I will have to wait and see how this works out. I don't know if I can go 4 years like this. Maybe this is the right thing though. Maybe this will work out for the best. Who am I kidding? How can this work out? Luke and I are madly in love, but we are going to be living miles and miles away from each other. What am I going to do?_


	10. My Mind is Somewhere Else

A week had passed, and Lucas and Peyton were starting to settle into their new surroundings. Lucas was happy to find out that he had a nice roommate. Lucas's roommate's name was Brian, and he was obsessed with basketball almost more than Lucas. It was nice for Lucas to have Brian, because he didn't know anyone else at UNC. He was planning on going home or to visit Nathan and Haley at Duke a lot, but nothing was the same without Peyton. Peyton was living alone in an apartment in Savannah. Like Lucas, she didn't know anyone there except for Jake. It was still awkward for her to be around him a lot, but he had helped her move into her apartment. All Peyton had to look forward to were the frequent calls she received from Lucas. They were on the phone together whenever they both had any free time.

"Hey man, you wanna go get something to eat? I am sick of all of this homework. I mean, we've only been here a week, and we are already swamped." Brian was trying to get Lucas out of the room.

"I'd like to man, but I gotta finish this work, and Peyton is calling me later." Brian was disappointed by this.

"C'mon Luke, can't you talk to Peyton while we are out."

"No, I wanna talk to her alone."

"O.k. man, whatever you say. It must be hard being away from her like this though. I guess I can understand."

"Brian, it's the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I can't stand it, and it's only been a week."

Lucas really was hurting inside. He would give anything to just hold Peyton in his arms. He was literally on the verge of flying to Savannah to see her, but he felt that he had to be strong for her.

"I am not gonna try to tell you what to do, but I really think that it would be good for you to get out, and take your mind off things for awhile. Maybe if you start going out and having some fun, things won't be as hard."

"Maybe you're right Brian, but I don't know if I can have fun without Peyton."

"Hey, you'll never know unless you try. Besides, I am sure that she wants you to be out having fun."

"You know, you are right. I am sure that's what she wants, and that is what I want for her too. Alright, let's go. I can talk to her while we are out." Lucas then followed Brian out of their dorm.


	11. Missed Call

Meanwhile, in Savannah…

Peyton was sitting alone in her apartment just staring at her engagement ring. If she was ever feeling alone, she would just look at the ring and think of Lucas. She would give anything to be in his arms. She couldn't stand being without him, but she felt that she had to be strong for him. She couldn't seem too needy. She wanted to call him every second, but she felt it was good for her to wait, so it would seem like she was busy. She didn't want Lucas to worry about her. Even though she wasn't out having fun, she hoped that he was.

After another 10 minutes or so, Peyton couldn't wait any longer, so she picked up her phone and called Lucas. She needed to hear his voice. When Lucas didn't answer his phone, she became a little upset, but more worried than anything. He never missed one of her calls, just as she never missed one of his. She decided to leave Lucas a voicemail.

"Hey Luke, it's me. I just really need to hear your voice right now. I miss you so much. I just wanna know what the deal is. You never miss any of my calls. Please call me back as soon as you get this. I love you! Bye."

Lucas and Brian had gone out to a bar to get something to eat. Brian knew one of the bartenders there, so he got the some drinks. They started to play some pool, and were having a good time. Lucas hadn't had this much fun since Peyton had left. He felt a little guilty, but he knew that Peyton was probably having fun too, since she hadn't called yet. He then reached into his pocket to make sure he didn't miss her call. His fears were realized when he saw that he had a voicemail.

"Oh shit! I missed Peyton's call." Lucas told Brian he had to go call her quick. He decided to check the voicemail before calling her back.

"Hey Luke, it's me. I just really need to hear your voice right now. I miss you so much. I just wanna know what the deal is. You never miss any of my calls. Please call me back as soon as you get this. I love you! Bye."

Hearing Peyton's voice was a very welcome feeling to Lucas, but he felt really bad that he had made her worry about him. He had to call her back immediately so she wouldn't worry anymore. He dialed her number and waited for her to pick up.

"Hey you." Peyton was excited beyond belief to hear Lucas's voice.

"Hey babe, I'm sorry I missed your call. I was playing some pool with Brian."

"Oh, well that is good. I am glad you are out having fun. I was worried about you."

"I know, and I'm sorry. If it makes you feel any better, hearing your voice made my day. I love you Peyton." Tears were starting to come to Peyton's eyes as she heard those sweet words from Lucas.

"I love you too Luke. I have to say that hearing your voice made my day too. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too Peyt. I can't wait to see you."

"When is that gonna happen? I can't wait."

"Well, I can come anytime you want me to come. Just say the word and I will hop on a plane right now." Peyton smiled. She loved the fact that Lucas would do that just to see her.

"Luke, I am not gonna make you jump on a plane out of the blue just for me. How about you come down next weekend?"

"Peyt, I would do anything for you, and you know that. I would also love to come see you next weekend. I need to see my baby."

"I love you so much Luke. I can't wait for next weekend. This will give me something to look forward to, and what is better to look forward to than my hot fiancé coming to see me?"

"Well, I'd say that there is nothing better than coming to see my gorgeous fiancé. I'll talk to you later tonight before I go to bed. I love you Peyt."

"I love you too Luke. Talk to you later."

After Peyton hung up her phone, she couldn't help but smile. Lucas was coming to Savannah the very next weekend to see her. By that time it will have been two weeks since she had seen Lucas, and that was by far the longest they had gone without seeing each other in a long time, definitely since they had been together. The longest they had been apart since then was around 10 hours, and those hours were usually spent sleeping.


	12. Crossing the Line

The next week went by very fast for both Lucas and Peyton. They were both so excited to see each other that they were able to get through the week. Something to look forward to seemed to be a big help for both of them. It was now Friday, and Lucas's flight to Savannah was set to arrive in a few hours. Peyton was sitting at her apartment, anxiously waiting to leave to pick up Lucas at the airport. Jake was coming to pick her up and take her there.

Peyton was just sitting on the couch in her apartment watching the clock when she heard a knock at her door. She got up to answer it, and when she opened the door, she was surprised to see Jake.

"Jake, what are you doing here? You weren't supposed to be here for another 2 hours."

"I had nothing going on, so I thought that we could just hang out for awhile before we go pick up Lucas."

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you Jake. I have been getting lonely her alone. So, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. I kind of just want to lie around and talk if you wouldn't mind."

"Sure, that sounds fine to me. What did you want to talk about?"

"No idea, I just like talking to you."

"Oh, that's sweet Jake, but I know you have something in mind. What's up?"

"O.k. fine, you got me. There is something that I need to tell you."

"Yeah, and what is that?"

"I still love you Peyton."

Peyton just sat there speechless. She didn't see this coming, and couldn't even think of how to respond to what Jake had just said. Sure, she still had left over feelings for Jake, but she wasn't in love with him, her heart belongs to Lucas, and Lucas is the only man she loves.

"Peyton, please say something."

Jake was now feeling stupid, and he was regretting telling Peyton how he felt, especially on the day he was supposed to take her to pick up her fiancée at the airport.

"Jake, I don't know how to respond to that."

"Just tell me how you feel Peyton."

"I love Lucas. That is how I feel Jake. My heart belongs to Lucas, and only Lucas. Sure, I might have some left over feelings for you, but I don't love you Jake. Lucas is the only man for me."

Jake was a little hurt by this, but he knew that Peyton was in love with Lucas, and not him. He just couldn't shake the feelings he had for Peyton. He had to see if his feelings were still real. So, out of nowhere, he leaned over and kissed Peyton. She immediately pulled away and slapped him right across the face.

"Who the hell do you think you are Jake?! I am engaged to Lucas Scott, and he is the only person in this world that I want to kiss. I love him Jake, I don't love you. I thought you were my friend Jake. I thought we were fine the way we were, but after doing something like that, I don't know if I can be around you anymore."

"Peyton, please. I'm so sorry. It just happened, I don't know what came over me. I just can't shake the feelings that I have for you."

"Well, you are going to have to Jake, because I am engaged to Lucas, and I am madly in love with him. After this, I don't know if we can even be friends anymore Jake."

"Peyton, please don't say that. I can handle this, I promise. We can just be friends, and I am o.k. with that. Just forgive me Peyton."

"Sorry Jake, I don't know if I can forgive you. I told you how I feel, but you kissed me anyway. Why the hell would you do that Jake? I am going to pick up Lucas myself."

Peyton stormed out of the door to her apartment, and decided to just take a taxi to the airport. She couldn't even stand to look at Jake, there was no way she could drive to the airport with him. She was just worried about what Lucas will do when she tells him.


	13. The Truth Hurts

The entire way to the airport Peyton debated whether or not she should tell Lucas about what Jake did. She knew she had to, but she didn't want it to ruin their weekend together. All she wanted to do was kiss him, and be held in his arms again.

Peyton arrived at the airport, and waited for about an hour for Lucas's flight to land. She couldn't wait another second to look into those blue eyes of his, and kiss him. She longed to be in his arms again.

Lucas was getting off his plane, and he could not wait to see Peyton, and just look into her beautiful green eyes, and kiss her. He missed holding her in his arms, and just being around her. He couldn't stand being away from her like this. He walked out and started to look around for Peyton, and then he saw her.

Lucas and Peyton just stood still staring into each other's eyes and smiling, and for that moment it was as if they were the only two people in the world. Finally, Peyton was able to tear her eyes away, and she took off running towards Lucas. She leaped into his arms, and they shared a passionate kiss, as Lucas spun her around. Peyton remembered the last time they had kissed like that, shortly after they had first started dating. This kiss was just as meaningful, because they were finally back together again.

"Luke, I love you so much. You don't know how much I missed you."

"I think I do know Peyt, because I missed you more. I love you."

They shared another long, passionate kiss before they started to walk off hand in hand.

"You know Peyt, there is something else that I have missed." Lucas smirked as he spoke.

"Down boy, we can do that when we get to my apartment." Peyton returned a smirk to Lucas.

"Well, I know we talk on the phone a million times a day, but what's new?" Lucas was just trying to pass the time until they got back to Peyton's apartment.

Peyton was hesitant to answer the question, because if she told the truth, she would have to mention her conversation with Jake earlier in the day.

"Nothing really, just the same old stuff. What's new with you?"

Lucas could tell that something was bothering Peyton. He could read her better than anyone else.

"Babe, what's bothering you? And don't you dare tell me nothing, because I can read you like a book." Lucas gave Peyton a reassuring smile.

Peyton didn't want to lie to Lucas, so she deciding to just ease into the truth.

"Well, I had an interesting conversation with Jake this morning." Lucas could tell that she was hesitant to go on.

"C'mon Peyt, you know you can tell me anything. Just let it out." Lucas leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"O.k., but will you promise me that you won't freak out." Lucas was a little confused.

"Of course I won't freak out babe, just let me know what's bothering you."

"Jake told me that he still loves me."


	14. Together Again

Lucas was speechless for a second. He really didn't know how to react. He had complete trust in Peyton, and he knew that she loves him, but he just didn't know what to say next.

"What happened next?" Peyton was hoping that Lucas wouldn't ask her that question.

"I told him that I love you, and only you, and that I no longer love him, but…" Peyton couldn't say the last part. She just couldn't find the words.

"But what Peyt? You can tell me babe, you know that. I don't care what it is. I promise you that I will be able to deal with it."

Peyton hesitated for a second, but then Lucas looked deep into her eyes, and she knew that she had to tell him the truth.

"He kissed me Luke." Lucas was clearly angry by this. He was about to blow up, but Peyton cut him off.

"But I pulled away and slapped him. Then I told him that we can't even be friends anymore. Luke, I just can't be around him anymore. I can't believe that he would do this."

Lucas could tell that this had upset Peyton just as much as it had upset him. He then pulled her into his arms, kissed her on the top of the head, and held her for comfort.

"Peyt, it's o.k. I know that you love me, and I love you too. I don't understand why Jake would do this either, but we can get through this together. I'm sure that we can still try to be friends with him. We can make this work babe. It will be fine."

"Aren't you mad though Luke? I mean, he kissed me."

"Of course I'm mad Peyt. The only person that should be kissing you is me, but you told me not to freak out, so I am staying calm for you. We need to be rational about this Peyt."

"This is why I love you Luke. You always make me feel better. I could just lay here in your arms forever."

"And I could hold you in my arms forever. There is no place I'd rather be than right here with you. Now, let's head back to your apartment." Lucas gave Peyton a flirtatious smile.

Lucas and Peyton then went back to Peyton's apartment and made love for hours, not once thinking about what happened with Jake earlier in the day. All that was important to them was being together again.


	15. Nothing Else Matters

The next morning Lucas was woken up by the sunlight coming into Peyton's apartment. Then he looked over and saw Peyton sleeping next to him. He loved her so much, and it felt great to wake up next to her. Nothing else mattered to him at that moment. He was content just lying there watching her sleep, and that is just what he did for the next hour.

Peyton woke up with a smile, because she felt Lucas's arms around her. She was never more at ease than when he was holding her in his arms. She couldn't believe how in love she was with Lucas. Her love for him was indescribable. She could wake up next to him for the rest of her life, and that is what she planned on doing. She was drawn from her thoughts when she realized that Lucas was watching her sleep.

"Doesn't watching me sleep get a little boring?"

"I could watch you forever beautiful." Lucas leaned over and gave Peyton a tender kiss on the lips.

"And I could wake up next to you like this every morning." Peyton gave Lucas another kiss.

"Don't worry babe, you will. You can count on that."

"Luke, I don't know if I can do this anymore." Lucas was a little confused.

"Do what Peyt?"

"Be away from you for the majority of the next four years." Lucas then pulled Peyton into his arms, and gave her a kiss on the top of the head.

"Babe, I promise you that we will get through this. We will both follow our dreams, and then begin our lives together."

"What if I want to begin our lives together right now?" Peyton took Lucas's hand in hers.

"Peyt, I thought this is what you wanted?"

"Luke, you know that what I want most is to be with you." Peyton smiled and gave Lucas a passionate kiss on the lips.

"You know I feel the same way Peyt, I love you. If you really want to give up on your dreams I'm not going to stop you. You know I would love to start our lives together now. I just don't want you to regret your decision."

"I love you too, and that is why I need to be with you Luke. I don't know if I will be able to stand these next four years."

"Well, if this is what you really want, we can figure it out."

"Is this what you want?" Peyton knew that Lucas wanted to be with her, but she could tell that he wanted what was best for her, and he was unsure about what she was saying.

"Babe, it's just that I don't wanna be the reason that you give up on your dreams. I would love it if we could just be together, and start the rest of our lives together right now, but I just don't want you to regret it forever."

"I know what you mean Luke. It's just that I'm not sure what I want right now. All that I'm sure about is that I love you, and I want to be with you."

"I love you too Peyt. So, how about we just forget about everything and be together right now?" Lucas smiled at Peyton, and she smiled back, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you propositioning me?"

"You know I am."

Lucas and Peyton then made love, and continued to do so for the rest of the day. All that mattered was being together. That had become a trend, but when two people are in love, not much else matters. Did that mean that they would give up their dreams? That wasn't clear yet.


End file.
